Though the show has maintained some popularity in the TV drama market, it has received mixed reactions from viewers. Despite reaching its 8th episode, many feel the show has not gone anywhere, with a dragging plot, and the producers have introduced more drama surrounding the female lead, Bae Seok-ryu (played by Jung So-min).
In particular, in Episode 8, which aired on the evening of September 8th, after Seok-ryu received a confession of love from Seung-ho (Jung Hae In), the two spent time waiting for her official response to Seung-ho’s years-long unrequited love for her. In the same episode, Seok-ryu’s family discovered that she had been secretly attending cooking classes, which they vehemently opposed. This caused Seok-ryu to “explode” as she had always been under pressure from her family to be perfect, make no mistakes, and constantly please others.
Many netizens thought the storyline was developing logically and expected the following episodes to resolve the family conflict and lead to some progress in Seung-ho and Seok-ryu’s relationship. However, by the end of the episode, Seok-ryu experienced severe stomach pain, revealing that she had once been diagnosed with stomach cancer and had surgery while living in the US. Episode 8 ended on this note, leaving viewers with many questions about how her relationship with Seung-ho and her family would unfold, given that she had kept such a big secret.
After the episode aired, many viewers expressed frustration, saying that Seok-ryu’s illness was unnecessary and only made the show more boring. Furthermore, they felt this plot twist was overused, as many classic dramas have employed it to heighten tension, the most recent example being “Queen of Tears”. However, some viewers defended “Love Next Door”, arguing that the illness detail made sense because Seok-ryu had always lived under extreme stress and pressure, so it was not surprising that she developed an illness.
Some of the netizens’ reactions:
– “I thought I was watching a romcom, but it feels like a melodrama. Overall, K-dramas this year have been disappointing. The viral ones feel old and cheesy. Some years are filled with great shows that make it hard to choose the best one, but this year, apart from a few viral romcoms, nothing stands out.”
– “I was planning to wait until the series was almost over to watch it. I have seen people criticize this plot twist for being outdated, but honestly, it has been a while since K-dramas used cancer as a plot device. And from another perspective, it is pretty realistic since cancer is very common now, especially among younger people. Life is not always perfect like in movies, and maybe this plotline could bring comfort or motivation to cancer patients. At the very least, there’s empathy in it”.
– “It may be an old trope, but I think the way the writer is handling it still makes sense.”
– “We are halfway through the show, and it is still not going anywhere. So many issues have been introduced, but none of them have been fully resolved. Last night’s episode even threw in this outdated twist, which made no sense. It’s really disappointing compared to the light and cute vibe of the first two episodes. I’m curious how the rest of the show will play out.”
– “They introduced so many plot points, but none of them have been fully developed. This scriptwriter is terrible; I can’t watch it anymore.”
– “Throwing in a cancer storyline—I might not be able to keep watching this. Please, romcoms do not need tragic illnesses. Feels like something out of the 2000s era with the leukemia plot twists.”
“Love Next Door” still has half of its episodes remaining. Catch the upcoming episodes every Saturday and Sunday on tvN and Netflix.
Source: K14
